This injury hurts more than all others for Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez is hit by a pitch during the first inning of Game 1 of the National League baseball championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Hanley Ramirez must feel like an enemy holds a voodoo doll with his likeness, and every time a pin is inserted he sustains another frustrating injury in that location.

Just this season, the Dodgers shortstop played through a pinched nerve in his back, which led to a hamstring injury. At other times in his career, there’s been an elbow injury, shoulder surgery and pain in his side.

But bruised ribs — the result of a St. Louis pitcher Joe Kelly 95-mph fastball to his left side — seem to be the real dagger that could force him to miss the rest of the playoffs.

Ramirez took a CT scan Sunday, but the results weren’t available. An X-ray was negative, but Ramirez still figured he might have cracked ribs.

With Ramirez missing Game 2 of the NLDS because he couldn’t swing a bat and with an uncertain future for today’s Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers are finding themselves in quite a predicament.

They lost with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw pitching great games. And now Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright starts today against Hyun-Jin Ryu, who was chased after three innings in his first playoff start against the Braves.

The Dodgers, trailing 2-0 in the series, must win four of the next five games in order to advance to the World Series. They might have to do so without Ramirez. They’re already without Matt Kemp and mostly without Andre Ethier.

If there was a game Sunday, Ramirez would not have played because of the pain. And because he couldn’t swing.

“For me, it’s one of the toughest injuries I’ve had,” Ramirez said Sunday on a workout day in which he was limited to rehabilitation. “Even if you want to stand or do anything (there’s pain) It’s kind of every move you do.”

If he plays, Ramirez would wear a shirt with a pad in it. Getting hit in the same spot would be agony.

Of course, not being in the lineup is torture, too.

“I’m going to stay positive and do whatever it takes to get in the lineup,” Ramirez said.

The voodoo doll of the 29-year-old Ramirez has been stabbed one time too many. Just when it appears he was realizing his true potential, Ramirez was hit with another injury.

Ramirez was batting .345 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs and a .402 on-base percentage in just 86 games for the Dodgers this season. In the playoffs, he was batting .500 with 6 RBIs.

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“He was the best hitter on the planet, maybe the whole year,” said Dodgers outfielder Skip Schumaker, who will play center field again today if Ethier isn’t. “When you’re missing your three or four hitter and you find out a couple of hours before the game (two), that’s a tough loss. We’re lucky to have a guy like Nick Punto. He did a heckuva job at shortstop.

“I’m hoping (Ramirez) is playing. My hope, and I think everybody’s hope — even Nick Punto, because we’re better with Ethier and Hanley in the lineup — is that they play. Everything is better. The bench is better. The lineup is better.”

Ramirez is doing rehabilitation every 20-25 minutes and probably will do so around the clock. Unless he’s sleeping, but even that doesn’t give him reprieve. Because then, he still has to get out of bed.

The results of the CT scan won’t matter if Ramirez is in such pain that he can’t wield a bat.

“No matter how much Hanley wants to play, there are certain things you’re not going to be able to play with,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “You’ve got to be able to swing the bat.

“I know Hanley wants to play. He keeps continuing to tell me he’s going to play, but that can only go so far. He’s got to be able to play.”

The prospect of not facing Ramirez again changes the dynamic of the Dodgers’ lineup.